Bidjigal Reserve and Surrounding Areas Leader: Laurie Olsen

Bidjigal Reserve and Surrounding Areas Leader: Laurie Olsen Date: 3rd July 2019 Participants: Laurie Olsen, Misako Sugiyama, Colin Helmstedt, Kevin Yeats, Mike Pickles, Mike Ward, Alan Brennan, Jeanette Ibrahim, Kumiko Suzuki, John Hungerford, Bill Donoghoe, Jenny Donoghoe, Jacqui Hickson, Warwick Selby (Guest) then south to join Parramatta River at the junction with temporarily stored behind the wall. Once the rain eases or Toongabbie Creek flowing from the west. A number of stops the stored water will drain away quite quickly. The tributaries join the creek as it flows downhill. The creek was concrete has been decorated by numerous graffiti artists. named after John Raine's mill, which he named Darling Mill At the lower end of the Reserve we followed the remains of in honour of Governor Ralph Darling who had granted the a convict road and viewed the stonework ruins of a convict- land on which it was built. built hut and a Satin Bower bird’s nest, before leaving the Descending from Mount Wilberforce Lookout Reserve, Reserve for lunch at Hazel Ryan Oval. after some street walking we entered the Cumberland Following lunch we crossed North Rocks Road and entered State Forest where the western track head of the Great Lake Parramatta Reserve and circled the lake for a well- North Walk commences. earned afternoon stop with coffee and milkshakes. Lake Following some more street walking we entered the Bidjigal Parramatta arch walled dam, 1856, is of historical Reserve. Bidjigal Creek gives its name to the Reserve significance and is the first large dam built in Australia. The surrounding a significant length of the Darling Mills Creek dam is the eleventh earliest single arch dam built since catchment. The name recalls the Bidjigal (also spelt Roman times, 100 BC, and is the only masonry dam in the Walk description: Bediagal) people, a group of Indigenous Australians living to world to combine the Bidjigal Reserve / Surrounding Areas West Pennant Hills to the West of Sydney. Perhaps the most famous Bidjigal use of both Roman Parramatta: From West Pennant Hills follow Darling Mills person was Pemulwuy, who led Aboriginal people before concrete, a mix of Creek downhill to Lake Parramatta and on to finish at finally being captured and killed. Morning tea was a rock volcanic ash and lime Parramatta. On formed tracks with street walking at the platform with a small waterfall soon after entering the to bind rock fragments start and finish. (A second attempt, hope the rain stays reserve. The initial stage was relatively open but as we and Portland cement, away.) Map: http://bidjigal.org.au (Bushwalks) approached the Cumberland Highway and the M2 mostly limestone and Motorway crossings the sides steadily increased in clay, to hold together Report: steepness. Infamous 1820's bushranger Jack Donohoe, who small rocks. This was the second attempt to undertake the walk, from carried out many robberies in the area, is reported to have The walk concluded West Pennant Hills to Parramatta following the Darling used the gorge as a hideout. passing the disused Mills Creek and doing a loop around Lake Parramatta near Floodwaters had caused considerable damage along Parramatta Gaol and the end: the first attempt was thwarted by heavy rain that Darling Mills Creek and the Upper Parramatta River and as 1885 convict built made creek crossings difficult. This time the weather was a remedy a retarding basin has been built. It is not a dam, it Female Factory favourable - sunny with light cloud cover. The walk started is a concrete wall 25 metres high with a short tunnel in its precinct on the way to at Thompsons Corner, West Pennant Hills. base. During heavy rain, when all the storm water in the Parramatta Station. The Darling Mills Creek starts near the intersection of Castle creek cannot flow through the tunnel, excess water will be Hill Road and Pennant Hills Road and flows generally west, Report by: Laurie Olsen Photos: Laurie Olsen .

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